Agricultural machine for harvesting spinach



W. ROMANIK AGRICULTURAL MACHINE FOR HARVESTING SPINACH Oct. 21, 1947.

s Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1945 INVENTOR.

A'ITO R N EYE Oct. 21, 1947. w. ROMANIK AGRICULTURAL MACHINE FORHARVESTING SPINACH Filed Aug. 26, 1945 s sheets-sheet 2 ATTCI R N EYSAGRICULTURAL MACHINE FOR HARVESTING SPINACH Filed Aug. 26, 1943 3Sheets-Sheet 3 ATI'DRNIYE Patented Oct. 21, 1947 AGRICULTURAL*MACHINEFOR HARVEST- ING SPINACH .Rfllllanik, ,lylillville, N. J.

Application -August-26, 1943, Serial No. 500,123

or garden.

A further object of the invention is the pro- ,vision of amachine ofthis character whichiis comparatively simple inconstruction, readily-andeasily handled, thoroughly reliable andefiicient in operation, andinexpensive to; manufacture. and install.

With theseand otherobjectsin view the invention consists in the featuresof construction, combination and arrangementof parts as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, andpointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Figure '3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a side view of a modified form.

Figure '7 is a top plan view of the same, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated bythe line 88 of Figure 6.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, that is to say, Figures 1 to 5,inclusive, A designates generally the machine in its entirety asconstructed in accordance with the invention.

The machine A comprises a forwardly inclined two-wheeled body Ill havingside sills II which terminate at the rear thereof in push handles l2,while the forward ends carry a front cutter platform l3, which ishorizontally disposed and is equipped with a diagonally arranged cutterblade I4 fore thereof. The platform l3 includes longitudinally disposedspaced supporting bars I5, and the body I is fitted with side boards I6,while located between said sills l.l within the body NJ .is an endlessforwardly inclined elevator apron l1 driven from .apowershaft I8 and adrivingbelt t9 which:istrainedoverbelt wheels 20 and 2|, respectively.TIhetbelt wheel 20 is fixed to the axle 22 i'forzthe traction wheels 23of the machine, while the beltwheelZl isflxedto the shaft 13, whichisjournaled in the sills ll of the body i ll. "This apron l 'lisprovided-cross slats 24 as usual.

Rotary gatherers 25 are locatedat opposite sides of the bars 15 betweenthe cutterabla'de l4 andthe loweren'dlof .theapron H. ,I-hegatherers25are carried'hyshafts 26 which are journaled inlbearings :fl barriedby'the side sills ;I l and bearings .21 carried by brackets 27.The-brackets 21 are also secured to the side sills l l, and carrybearings :3! :for shafts 113i! and bearings35 for shafts :33.:Theshafts13il-are arranged at :rightangles tozthe shafts' ZB, and carrybeveled gears 25 :meshing .with beveled gears 29 carried byttheau'pperends ofithe shafts :26. The shafts 33 are arranged atrightangles to the shafts :30 and are provided at their upper ends withbeveled gears 32 meshing with beveled gears 32 on the shafts 30. Theshafts 33 are provided at their lower ends with beveled gears 32* whichmesh with beveled gears 34 on the axle 22. The shafts 33 and 30, andtheir gears, together with the gears 34, establish a, driving connectionbetween the axle 22 and the shafts of the gatherers 25, whereby thegatherers are rotated in a direction to throw the cut material onto thebars 15 and lower end of the apron l1.

Arranged on the body II) at the delivery end of the apron l1 anddepending from the sills II is a collector rack 36 for a collector 37open at its top. This collector is provided with a keeper slot 38 inwhich engages a stationary hook-like keeper 39 on the rack 36, so thatthe collector 31 is detachably held on the rack 36 in receivingposition, but can be unloaded at will.

In Figures 6, '7 and 8 of the drawing is shown a modified form of themachine. In this form of the machine the body Ill cutter blade M fingersl5 and elevator apron Il are similar to the corresponding parts of themachine shown in Figures 1 through 5. This form of the machine is alsoprovided with a rack 36 and collector receptacle 31 It is not, however,provided with the gatherers 25 and the operating mechanism therefor.

The modified form of the machine is adapted to be driven by a, tractorof any well known or appropriate construction, and it is connected to atractor after the removal of the front wheels of the latter. The bodyII! of the machine is connected to the tractor by a frame 40 which hasits side bars 4| connected to the axle 42 of the machine and connectedto the sides of the tractor as at 43. The spindles 44 carrying thewheels 45 of the machine, are connected by universal joints 46 to theaxle 42 so as to permit the wheels to be turned to effect the steeringof the machine and tractor. Brackets 41 mounted loosely on the spindles46 are pivoted, as at 48 to arms 49 fixed rigidly to the sides of thebody I The elevator I! is driven from the axle 42 by a belt 50 passingabout pulleys i and 52 fixed respectively to the axle and to the shaftof the top roller of the conveyor. The wheels 45 are connected to thesteering mechanism of the tractor by an arm 53 and a link 54, the latterbeing connected to an arm 55 fixed to one of the brackets 41. Thebrackets are connected together by a tie rod 56. The steering mechanismof the tractor includes a steering rod 5'! and wheel 58.

The body Ill is pivotally supported by the axle 42 and is yieldinglysupported to normal position by springs 59 mounted between the upper endof the body and the side bars 4| fixed to the tractor and looselyconnected to the axle 42. As stated, the tractor 6| is of conventionalconstruction. To adapt it for propelling the machine it is onlynecessary to remove its front wheels and attach the frame 48 and thesteering arm 53 to the tractor.

The machine is advanced through a, field of growing spinach and thelatter is cut and conveyed by the elevator apron for delivery into thecollector. This collector is unloaded at will by hand.

The gatherers during the advancement of the machine will deposit the cutspinach onto the apron, the flow of spinach being between the gathererswhich rotate toward each other as the machine is advanced through afield or in a garden of growing spinach.

The bars l5 of the platform l3 serve as a sieve for ridding the cutspinach of dirt and foreign matter during the harvesting thereof.

It is, of course, understood that changes, variations and modificationsmay be made in the invention as fall properly within the scope of theappended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed is:

In a harvesting machine, a wheel-supported axle, an elongated framepivoted between its ends on the axle, cutting and conveyor mechanismscarried by the frame, rotary gatherers located at opposite sides of theframe between the cutting and conveyor mechanisms, brackets secured toopposite sides of the frame rearwardly of the gatherers, bearingscarried by the frame and brackets for rotatably supporting thegatherers, shafts geared to the gatherers, shafts geared to the axle andsaid first shafts, and bearings carried by the flame for supporting saidshafts.

WILLIAM ROMANIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 414,842 McDonald Nov. 12, 1889515,802 Storey Mar. 6, 1894 875,831 Longstreet Jan. 7, 1908 796,268Troeger Aug. 1, 1905 1,808,928 Lint June 9, 1931 1,099,495 Fredericksonet a1. June 9, 1914 1,714,851 Dean May 28, 1929 1,758,555 Bettex et a1May 13, 1930 1,853,109 Anderson Apr. 12, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 217,656 Great Britain June 23, 1924

